May 2085: crazy for you, part 2

Sophia is 20, Josh is 18, Leo is 21.


She should have noticed when all he would talk about the other night was how big his bed was, how soft, how springy. Or that he'd said they should meet up after class and go over their notes. She really thought he wanted to go over notes, but as they sat alone in the empty diner, they only talked instead, mostly about his super big bed...

He'd never actually seen her naked back in Freshman year. She hadn't seen him either. Not with their eyes anyway. There was kissing, lots of groping, barely past second base. He might have gotten a handful of boob and she might have felt his hard-on through his jeans, but then she met Benny, and it was over just as quickly as it had begun.



So Sophia couldn't quite say she didn't see this coming either. After the fact, definitely not. She might have known what was about to happen by the way he was staring at her lips, like he wasn't even listening to anything she said. By the way he kept talking about beds. And then he met her after her music theory class, which he usually did because it let out at the same time his government class let out, but this time he engulfed her face with a kiss.


"What?..." She didn't know which question to ask first.

Her first mistake was that she should have pushed him off her, hard and fast and ran the other way, but for some reason she didn't. She kissed him back—she did—but if you asked her to explain, she would say she had good reasons. It was such an odd thing to be kissing him again, the same and yet so different. It was new and old and strange more than anything, and this was the unmasking of any curiosity left in her about what it might have been like had she chosen differently two years ago. Leo kissed her too forcefully, too tense. He tasted like cigarettes and maybe pepperoni, and you know what? She didn't like it after all. He wasn't a better kisser than Benny. He didn't taste as good, his lips weren't as soft, he didn't hold her right.

"Let's tell him together."


"Tell who?" she said. "And tell what?"

"Tell Benny. That you're leaving him!"

"What? I'm not leaving Benny. You attacked me!" She took a step back and warded him off with her hands. "I didn't say I was breaking up with him. It didn't mean I was leaving him for you. It was a kiss, that's all. And it was your idea, not mine!"

"Well don't pretend you didn't like it. Don't pretend you didn't kiss me back. What's wrong with you?"

Oh God, he was right. She did kiss him back. She didn't mean anything by it, or is that what they all say? "That's not what I meant. I mean, it's a lot to assume, don't you think? It was just a kiss. I didn't even..."

"You're such a tease! I can't believe you! You kissed me back, you tramp!"


Just that moment, Josh came out from his art history lecture, stopping cold at the scene, Leo glowering at Sophia so intensely she could feel the heat on her face. "What's going on, you guys?" Josh asked. "Soph, is he harassing you? Are you trying to creep on my sister, you slimeball?"

"Your sister has some explaining to do."


Josh stepped a little closer and stood a little taller. "You don't get to talk to her like that, and she doesn't have to explain anything to you."

"No, Josh," Sophia said. "It's fine. I mean, it's not fine, but Josh, it's not what you think. Leo, it's not what you think either. God." Sophia exhaled hard. "Just go home, Leo."

"Bug off, she said," Josh threatened.

Leo took off down the path with his fists balled. He kicked a concrete planter, a tree, started in on somebody's dog, but stopped just short of it.


Sophia stood facing the direction he'd gone, not watching anymore but with her eyes closed. What had she done? This was all going to be such a huge mess.

"Hey, Sophie? What was he talking about?"

"Nothing," Sophia said.

But then she decided differently. Leo was crazy. Somebody needed to know her side of the story.


"Please don't tell Benny. I don't want him to get the wrong idea, and I bet Leo's already going to try. I didn't mean anything by it. He kissed me. It wasn't even my idea, I swear."


"Was he telling the truth? Did you kiss him back? Did he hurt you? Where is he? Do I need to beat his face in?"


"No, don't beat his face in." How would she explain this? "Yes, I did kiss him back, but that doesn't mean anything. I swear it didn't mean anything. I was just... confused. I'm not leaving Benny. That's not what I meant. Please don't tell him. He won't understand."

She didn't quite understand it herself, but at least now she understood who Leo was. She understood him completely, the little worm.


"Don't worry," Josh said. "I won't say anything."

"Thanks, Joshie, you're the best."

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